Former Soviet Republics of Central Asia and democracy

Résumé du document

Nowadays, Central Asia can be considered as the "Heartland", that is to say the center of geopolitical positioning, given the abundance of natural resources in the region. Indeed this area, particularly Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan, benefits from oil and natural gas reserves among the largest in the world, which explains the timorous attitude of Western countries toward Central Asian leaders. As we will study later on, the perspectives of human rights in the region are not as promising as those of the economy. From the tsarist conquest to the setting up of the Soviet regime, Central Asian people have submitted to strong powers. Gorbatchev's perestroika and then the collapse of the Soviet Union which led to the independence of the five former Soviet Republics gave big hopes to the population of this region.

Keywords: Bloodbath, Censorship, Constitution, Cult, Democracy, Jail, Opposition, Repression, Torture, Uprising

Extraits

[...] The orchestrated elections that allowed the successor of the Turkmenbashi to reach the head of Turkmenistan seem to have definitely ended all chances of democratization in the region. Key-words List of the studied key-words Bloodbath Censorship Constitution Cult Democracy Jail Opposition Repression Torture Uprising Bloodbath Definition: Grammatical label: Noun Meaning in the text: Large-scale slaughter, e.g. in battle, or during a revolution. Synonyms: Carnage, mass murder, massacre, slaughter, butchery, bloodshed. Other words with the same radical: - Blood (noun) = The fluid consisting of plasma, blood cells, and platelets that is circulated by the heart through the vertebrate vascular system, carrying oxygen and nutrients to and waste materials away from all body tissues. [...]

[...] Some argue that the so-called charges against him were fabricated by the State. The charges were indeed similar to those brought against another leader of the opposition group, Nadira Khidoyatova, who was also sentenced to 10 years in prison one week before him. Even Karimov's nephew was a casualty of this harsh repression. He vanished on 12 September between his home and the hospital where he was visiting his mother. His relatives learnt on 5 October that he had been interned in a mental hospital and would stay there for several months. [...]

[...] Other meanings: - (Country with principles of) government in which all adult citizens share through their elected representatives. - (Society in which there is) treatment of each other by citizens as equals and absence of class feeling. Synonyms: Representative government, republic. Antonyms: Autocracy, dictatorship Other words with the same radical: - Democrat (noun) = Person who favours or support democracy. - Democratic (adjective) = Of, like, supporting democracy. - Democratically (adverb) = In a democratic way. - Democratize (verb) = Make democratic. - Democratization (noun) = Action of making democratic. [...]

[...] Moreover, Bakiev government reduced the geographic coverage of NTS, another Kyrgyz TV channel: the TV station was made to stop its broadcasting in the south of the country which confined it to the region of Bishkek and another area. II. A population under pressure The first casualties of this dictatorial system ruling in the former Soviet republics of Central Asia are obviously the inhabitants and organizations of the region that, more than an unequal rule faces a daily violent repression. A. [...]

[...] The most significant example of the Central Asian republics methods is indeed that of the harsh repression in Adijan. A demonstration opposed to the government and asking the liberation of twenty Muslim business men jailed because they were suspected of being terrorist. This spontaneous rebellion was severely repressed and led to a bloodbath. According to independent sources the repression triggered off the death of 750 demonstrators whereas according to the Uzbek authorities only 187 died. This last case is the best example of the harsh methods used by police and justice in Central Asian republics. [...]